What do you do when you reach that „upper“ rank level you sought? Or never sought? How do you now ‚train‘? Do you continue training? My first comment is you had better continue training or your students will soon pass your level! I think most of us recognize that we eventually must become our own instructor as this is part of making the art your own. I think too that the understanding that „there is and will always be more to learn“ is an important realization to make. We never can „know it all“ but we can learn more and I think need to. Just maybe this was Soke’s reason for telling us „keep going“ as he has done for all the years I have known him. Eventually we come to the place where we understand that size and strength have no „advantage“ when a person knows how to „be in the right place at the right time“. Those personal assets are completely negated. Strength is countered by the use of leverage and control of balance means that no „strength“ can be applied in any case. So our training becomes very personal and very individual, we need to recognize that „safe space“ and know how to get there without a lot of movement or time. It must come without the need to think first. I also think that at some point the physical aspect of our training becomes less important than the „spiritual“ part and our understanding of that part of ourselves. There is no longer room to hold arrogance and inflated ego if we are to continue to improve. Insights can come from many sources, IF we are open to them. It is valuable and important to listen to others and actually hear what they have to say. It is only then that you make your evaluation of WHAT they had to say. Cooperation is the way we all make this happen.